Price

Openning Hours

Bus

Tram

Sultanahmet , or Gülhane

More information

Tel : (0212) 512 04 80

Fax : (0212) 528 59 91

E-Mail: topkapisarayimuzesi@kulturturizm. gov. tr

Web: www. topkapisarayi. gov. tr

The Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı or in Ottoman: طوپقپو سرايى), a large palace, was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign.

The palace complex has four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4, 000 people, and covered a large area with a long shoreline, which contained mosques, a hospital, bakeries, and a mint. It constructed in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. To distinguish it from the previous residence, it was originally called the New Palace (Yeni Saray). The complex was expanded over the centuries, with major renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire.